Training Your Cat to Be a Good Traveler
By Beverly Eschberger
Before you jump into your car with your pet cat on a trip, you will want to make certain that both you and your cat are prepared for the trip. This means training your cat to be a good traveler.
Many of the training tips that I mentioned in my previous article, “Training Your Dog to Be a Good Traveler,” will also apply to training your pet cat. The younger you begin training your cat, the more accustomed she will be in traveling with you, and will make a better traveler, especially if you can begin when she is still a kitten.
The most important thing to consider in training your pet cat to be a good traveler is patience. Cats in general tend to be more easily stressed and frightened by new people and new places. After all, even young humans are so much larger than your pet cat, so of course she will be a little frightened by these new monsters.
Slowly introduce your pet cat to new people, warning them to not make any sudden movements or loud sounds that could frighten her. If she has good experiences in meeting new people in your home, she will be less likely to be frightened by new people outside of your home.
Accustom your cat to her carrier before attempting to take her anywhere in it. If you force her into the carrier, she will associate it with a negative experience, and will not want to get into it again. Place the open carrier in a room where your cat feels safe and comfortable and let her investigate it. Place some t-shirts that you have worn or towels that your cat has slept on inside the carrier so your cat has a familiar, comforting scent to reassure her. Try feeding your cat inside the carrier so she has positive associations with the carrier. If she wants to sleep in the carrier, that is a sign that she feels comfortable with it.
Take your cat on short trips around town in your car, keeping her in her carrier. If she becomes frightened, having her in the carrier will prevent her from escaping and becoming lost or injured. You might need to begin by sitting in your driveway in your parked car to slowly accustom your cat to being calm in the car. Playing classical music on your car stereo may help your cat to relax. I know my female cat Motley is listening to it because she flicks her ears when she hears the birds chirping on the CD. Go slowly with your cat, so she does not become stressed and associate traveling with negative experiences.
My advice is that you always keep your pet cat in her carrier while she is in the car, even if she is tranquilized (more information about tranquilizing in a future article). If your cat becomes frightened, she may suddenly bolt from the car when you open the door, and become lost or injured. Because of her small size, other drivers may not see your cat while she is fleeing your car, resulting in a fatal accident. If you travel frequently with your cat over a long period of time, and she is a relaxed traveler who is not easily frightened, then you can consider allowing her out of her carrier. Even so, you will want to always travel with it, in case of emergencies.
The carrier will also be useful if you have to leave your cat in the hotel room. Even if she is very relaxed in the car, she can easily become frightened when hotel housekeepers come in to clean and vacuum your hotel room. Since hotel housekeepers often leave the hotel room door open to give them access to cleaning carts, your cat can easily sneak out unseen. If you must leave your cat behind, consider hanging your Do Not Disturb sign on the door; you can always request clean towels from the hotel desk.
About the Author:
I live with my husband, Everyday Geology editor Geoff Habiger, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. We have three children of the furry variety--two cats, Motley and Nero, and an Irish Setter named Clancy Marie. By day I am a chemist with Abbott Laboratories.
When I am not writing about Paleontology or Travelling with Pets, I like to spend as much time as possible outside, I enjoy hiking, bird-watching, and gardening. I am an avid reader of "just about everything," and I love to visit museums of all types, especially those that feature science and natural history.
My husband and I enjoy travelling to all sorts of different places whenever we get the opportunity, and we like to take Clancy with us.
In addition to writing about science and travelling, I enjoy writing fiction and poetry, and I enjoy combining my love of science education with my love of the literary.
Beverly may be contacted by email at paleoartisans@hotmail.com.
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
